The Company of Moonlight
by KingWykkyd57
Summary: They were complete opposites: he was a devilish scoundrel, she was a angelic princess. But a shared moment under the full moon may just bring them closer together, and maybe... Just maybe, it could work... Niles/Elise


**I ship these two. Like, kind of a lot XD I have them marry each other in almost every playthrough, so... Yeah.**

 **...**

"Niles? Is that you?" Her voice was soft as silk, spoken in a hushed tone when compared to her usual bubbly self.

He turned to the girl, an unusually soft smile on his face. "Milady, you shouldn't be up at this hour," he gently scolded. "We wouldn't want our shining star in the army to lose her sparkle, right?"

She couldn't help but giggle at his comment. "You're silly, Niles," she said, moving closer to stand next to him. "I'm not sleepy, and I have nothing to do. So I thought I could keep you company for now. Night patrol must get lonely, right?"

The former criminal shrugged, glancing up towards the full moon. "I wouldn't say so," he admitted. "With the moon this bright, I don't feel alone."

"The moon?" The princess repeated, following his gaze. Her eyes widened at the white orb in the sky, a huge grin spreading across her face. "Wow, it's so pretty!" She gasped. "I've never seen the moon this big!"

"When I was a kid, it was the moon that kept me company," he explained. "Times were hard for me, sometimes I felt like I was never going to make it. I was drowning in a darkness I thought I could never escape." She noticed a small tear form in the corner of the retainer's remaining eye. "But just when I could see nothing but dark, the moon appeared." She heard him chuckle. "The moon was a beacon of hope for me, it... It was my first friend." He turned to her with a small smirk. "Kind of sounds silly, doesn't it?"

The girl shook her head. "I think it's sweet," she told him. "The moon seems really important to you, I don't find that silly at all."

"Why, thank you, milady," he said, his smirk disappearing and another genuine smile replacing it. "I wouldn't suspect a princess of Nohr to understand."

"Actually, the moon is my friend too, in a way," she admitted, a tiny blush forming. "When I was born, my father had a lot of wives who would do anything for his attention." She sighed sadly as the memories returned to her. "Sometimes, it seemed like my mother didn't love me at all, she only wanted King Garon. Sometimes, I...I..."

He noticed tears dripping from her beautiful eyes, and without much thought he leaned down to wipe them away. "It's okay, milady," he soothed. "All that pain is over now."

She sniffed and nodded, looking away shyly from the admittedly handsome rogue. "Thank you, Niles," she whispered. "It's just... Sometimes I thought I was never loved by anyone. If my own mother didn't care for me, why would anyone else?"

"I know how you feel," he told her, wiping the last of her tears. "My parents didn't want anything to do with me either. I don't even remember what they looked like."

The girl frowned slightly. "That's horrible," she growled quietly. "Adults are just a bunch of dumb heads!"

He couldn't help but chuckle. "And what does that make me, milady?" He teased, a hint of mirth in his eyes.

"You're the exception, Niles," she replied, returning the same look.

"That's the nicest thing anyone ever said to me, you know."

A heavier blush appeared on her doll-like face. "Oh, you're just saying that," she muttered, not looking him in the eyes.

"Oh, I'm quite serious, milady," he assured.

A moment of silence past between them as they continued to look up at the moon. It wasn't an awkward silence, just two beings enjoying each other's company.

"I really like speaking with you, Niles," she softly spoke after another minute of silence. "Despite what everyone says about you, I know you're a wonderful person. And...I really would enjoy being your friend."

"Aren't we already friends, milady?" He questioned, eyes not drifting away from the moon.

"I really, really like the sound of that," she agreed. "Oh, and you can just call me Elise, by the way..."

"Alright then...Elise..." He couldn't help but love the way her name sounded, rolling off his tongue. It felt natural, it felt _right_ to say it. A light blush formed across his cheeks as he thought more about the princess next to him. Could it be possible...?

No, he decided. They were much to different. He, a cold blooded scoundrel born in the slums of the criminal underworld. Her, a perfect princess who belonged with someone with much more to offer than him.

He was freed from his thoughts as the angel beside him let out a loud yawn. He laughed a bit, turning to her. "You should really get some sleep," he told her.

She was about to argue, but instead she gave into her sleepiness and nodded tiredly. "You're right..." She mumured. "Thank you, Niles, for letting me keep you company." She hesitated, then leaned up and pressed her lips delicately against his cheek. "Goodnight."

He wasn't expecting such a display of affection, but he didn't want to stand there in his shock for any longer than he should have. He smiled, his hand finding the spot her lips had just touched. "Goodnight, Elise," he returned.

'Maybe... Maybe she and I...can work.'

He watched her as she walked away, and eventually she disappeared from view, leaving him only with the company of moonlight.


End file.
